[Aurelia Spencer Rogers, sister to Ellen Curtis Spencer Clawson wrote:] “Before
leaving Nauvoo, father [Orson Spencer] had been called to go on a mission to England to edit
the Millennial Star; but on account of the persecutions his departure had been
postponed. [Catherine Curtis, wife to Orson Spencer and mother of 6 living children, died shortly after the family left Nauvoo.]
“While at the Bluffs he was notified to be in readiness to start late
in the fall [1846]. He therefore made arrangements to fill the appointment and
went with us across the Missouri River to Winter Quarters, where he put up a log cabin, into which we moved before
it was finished there being no floor nor door. Soon after a door was put in,
but the floor, which was made of hewed logs, was not laid until the next spring.
“Catharine and I were just recovering from a spell of sickness when our
father bade us farewell and started on a three years' mission, leaving us in
charge of a good man and his wife by the names of James and Mary Bullock, who looked
after our interest the same as their own. They also had a family of children.
“The door of Brother Bullock's cabin faced our's and was only a few feet
from it, so if anything went wrong they could hear us. We kept house by ourselves,
Ellen acting the part of a little mother. She had just turned fourteen, and was
small of her age, but had the judgment of one older. [The names and ages of the
other children: Aurelia (12), Catharine (10), Howard (8), George (6), and Lucy (4).] It was well for us that we had been taught to knit and sew, for we
had our own clothes to mend and look after. A lady by the name of Jane Dudson,
who lived across the street from us, used to cut out our dresses and then we
helped to make them. From her I took my first lessons in dress cutting, which
were gained by observation, and were of great use to me afterwards.
“We got through the first part of the winter pretty well, as father had
provided for our wants, having left us with eight cows and one horse; the horse
was to be sold for provisions.
We went to school to Sister Addison Pratt, (mother of Ellen Pratt) who
felt obliged to do something to earn a livelihood for herself and four daughters.
She was an excellent lady and we spent most of our spare time at her house.…
“The winter having been uncommon in its severity, our horse and all our
cows but one had died, therefore we had no milk nor butter; our provisions had
also nearly given out, so that in the spring and summer following, we really
suffered for something to eat; part of the time having nothing but corn-meal,
which was stirred up with water and baked on a griddle. Many a night I have
gone to bed without supper having to wait until I was hungry enough to eat our
poor fare. Many others as well as ourselves had very little to eat, and those
who did fare better, knew nothing: of our destitute condition. Some months
after, Apostle Wilford Woodruff, hearing about our circumstances visited us,
and relieved our wants for the time being. The Saints had to send to a place
called St. Joseph, which was some miles below Winter Quarters, for provisions
that consisted mainly of corn-meal and pork. There was no need of our family suffering
for food, if the money father sent us had been received; but although the money
failed to reach us, the letters received from our dear parent were a great comfort
to us.…
“We left Winter Quarters about the first of May, 1848, traveling in
President Young's company. He had made the trip across the plains the year
before, as the leader of the Pioneers, and had returned for the rest of his
family, and to see after the poor Saints who could not help themselves….
“In the course of nearly a five months' journey we arrived in Salt Lake
Valley, having traveled over a thousand miles. It was a happy time as we merged
from Emigration Canyon and took a view of the valley that was to be the future home
of the Saints” (Aurelia Spencer Rogers, Life
Sketches of Orson Spencer and Others, and History of Primary Work [N.P.:
George Q. Cannon and Sons Company, 1898], 47–49, 51, 79).
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